Eighty Year 10 students from Canterbury schools were tasked last week with developing an idea to help farmers and growers do things differently to ensure their use of water is sustainable.
They were taking part in the MPI Sustainability Innovation Challenge, hosted on campus by Lincoln University’s Blinc Innovation.
They were told that water plays a vital role in the agricultural sector in New Zealand and is a very important resource to New Zealanders.
Water use in the agricultural industry will need to adapt as climate change puts further pressure on this precious natural resource through irregular weather patterns, increased drought and flooding, rising sea levels and higher evaporation rates leading to an overall decrease in supply.
The one-day competition is intended for students with an interest in technology, science or business. The challenge required the youngsters to apply their subject knowledge and design and build a prototype solution to a real-life situation being faced by the sector.
They were helped by expert mentors on the day.